This article is by Shim Seok-yong and read by an artificial voice.



China's decision to cancel its reservation at the Shilla Seoul hotel during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit has raised speculation over Chinese President Xi Jinping's itinerary - and whether a state visit to Korea is still on the table.

The Korean government maintains that Xi will attend the APEC summit as scheduled, but with indications that he may only stay in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, expectations for a bilateral state visit appear increasingly unlikely.

"The details of Xi's itinerary during the APEC summit in Gyeongju are still under discussion with the Chinese side," Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

A diplomatic source said the visit is "effectively confirmed" and that the cancellation of the hotel reservation is "not seen as a significant variable."

The Korean government explained that the cancellation of the Shilla Seoul reservation is simply due to Xi's flexible schedule and does not significantly impact the visit itself.

Previously, the Shilla Seoul informed guests that wedding events scheduled during the APEC summit would be canceled due to "state-level events," only to reverse course last weekend, saying that weddings could proceed as planned.

The move came after China reportedly canceled its block booking, leading to speculation that Xi's visit might be scaled down.



The Korean government has been working with Beijing to arrange a bilateral summit in Seoul following Xi's attendance at APEC. A source said that talks over Xi making an official visit tied to the summit "are progressing in a positive direction."

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui's visit to China on Monday also hinted at China's diplomatic priorities. While some speculated that Xi might attend the anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling party on Oct. 10, Choe met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, not Xi - suggesting China may be saving a higher-level reception for South Korea.

"We will not speculate on the possibility of Xi's visit to North Korea on Oct. 10," said a Unification Ministry official. "But since Xi is visiting South Korea on the occasion of APEC, we believe such a visit is unlikely."

The bigger scheduling issue may lie with a potential summit between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump during the APEC summit. Sources indicate that Xi's full itinerary may depend on the finalization of the U.S.-China bilateral meeting's time and location.

Malaysia, the chair of this year's Asean summit, has already announced that Trump will attend. The fact that the summit will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Oct. 26 to 28 could also impact Trump's schedule in South Korea. Reuters also reported last Wednesday that Trump was considering a visit to Japan ahead of his trip to APEC.



If Trump were to attend both the Asean summit and visit Japan, his schedule would be tight, and he might prefer not to travel between Seoul and Gyeongju. Furthermore, with Xi canceling his Seoul accommodations, the U.S.-China summit could take place in Gyeongju, contrary to initial expectations.

This scenario raises the possibility that the South Korea-China summit may also take place in Gyeongju. But a Gyeongju-only trip would not fulfill the formal requirements of a state visit, given the limited schedule and the absence of a stop in Seoul - a capital Xi last visited in 2014. Observers say the visit may instead take the form of an "official visit" or a "working visit."

"Given the focus on APEC, it would be difficult for Xi to add the diplomatic weight of a state visit," said Lee Wang-hwi, a professor of political science and international relations at Ajou University. "If he stays only in Gyeongju, a state visit becomes even less likely."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translatio...